


Aimless

by DaisyChainz



Series: Concussive [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Blood and Injury, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Pre-Slash, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-05 09:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17915819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaisyChainz/pseuds/DaisyChainz
Summary: Ren is behaving more strangely than usual. Hux has to deal with him at his own peril.





	Aimless

**Author's Note:**

> Blood and injury, in the aftermath. There is violence but no direct injuries.

Hux had received an emergency message from the landing bay: Kylo Ren had returned from his mission in a dangerous mood. Hux frowned in the lift. First he worried about damaged equipment and loss (hopefully not permanently) of personnel. Secondly, he was mystified at Ren's actions. As far as Hux knew the mission had been an absolute success. 

The lift doors opened, Hux stepped off . . . And froze. A small shuttle had a . . . Deformed ramp, exposed cables were sparking from overhead, even Ren's own Upsilon was at an angle he should not have entered the landing bay at. A knot of technicians were standing over an officer on the ground. Hux approached. 

"Report," everyone snapped to attention. A technician stepped forward. "It was Commander Ren, General. He nearly crashed his ship on approach. When he exited he was met by Officer Yence and he . . ." The technician paused. "Waved his arm at him and twisted the loading ramp," he motioned to the shuttle, "then ripped down this section of wall," pointed overhead, "finally he shoved Officer Yence to the ground and storm . . . Left. Sir."

Hux's frown deepened. "Shoved him down, with the force?" He knew much of the crew was terrified of Ren, but were unsure how much of the force was reality versus gossip. He assumed anyone currently present would no longer be unsure. 

The technician shook his head. "No sir. With his hands." He mimed shoving with both hands. "Officer Yence hit his head on the floor."

Hux nodded. "Make sure medical attends to Yence and I'm putting you in charge of clean-up. Dismissed." The technician saluted with a final "yes sir, General."

Hux walked across the bay in the direction Ren would have gone regardless of whether he was going to his quarters, to meditate, or to report to Snoke. He felt it safe to assume Ren was not heading for the kitchens or the gymnasium in his current mood. 

He found his assumptions quickly supported by damage along the corridor. A blown-out control, a hanging light fixture, downed personnel. Nothing as serious as the hangar and, oddly, no signs of light saber abuse. 

Hux walked faster once he found the holo-chamber empty. Ren must have gone back to his quarters. He reached the lift and was relieved to find it undamaged. He took it to the officer's residential floor and stepped out cautiously. 

There was no further trail to follow. No damaged walls, no sparks falling over him. He walked to Ren's door and paused. Should he chime and wait, or use his over-ride and barge in?

As much satisfaction as he would have gotten from forcing his way in and confronting Ren, it seemed . . . Unwise with Ren's current state. He hit the door chime and waited impatiently. After a time he hit the chime again. 

Finally frustrated he typed his over-ride passcode in and the door slid open. Hux paused long enough for something thrown toward the door to hit, then stepped in. 

The room looked as he assumed it always did; he had never actually been inside. Nothing was damaged. The only oddity was a trail of Ren's outer wear, including his helmet, that led towards the open bedroom door. 

Hux followed the trail, unsure of what awaited him. He found the bedroom empty, but could hear sounds from the refresher. Instead of knocking he stood in the center of the bedroom and called out loudly "Lord Ren!"

There was a long pause and then the door to the refresher slid open. Whatever Hux thought he was expecting to see, what he saw wasn't it. 

Ren stood in the doorway, stripped down to his pants and boots, sweat-covered, and with blood coming out of his nose and down the side of his face. Hux looked closer and even though his eyes were very dark, one pupil was obviously larger than the other. He sniffed and could smell vomit wafting from the refresher. 

"Lord Ren, you have a head injury. You need to report to the medical wing."

Ren, who was leaning heavily against the doorframe, waved Hux away. Hux was unable to keep from flinching. Nothing happened. 

"I don't." Ren stated simply. "Just need to clean up and meditate. Mission was a complete success." Was it Hux's imagination, or was Ren slurring slightly? 

"You have classic symptoms of a concussion. You need medical to check you out and release you for duty. Or not." Hux added, almost under his breath. 

"Not in your command structure," Ren seemed to have to concentrate to get that last party out. "Don't need you to release me for duty."

"I would do no such thing. Medical will make that decision. But I will back up their recommendations." He met Ren's attempt to stare him down. It was somewhat less effective when he kept switching which eye he was trying to focus with. Finally Hux took a step forward. "Ren, you are obviously injured. Why not let medical do their duty and make sure you aren't seriously damaged?"

"I'm fine!" Clearly he wasn't. "I took a glancing blow to the head; helmet wasn't damaged, didn't even get knocked out. I'm fine!" He tried glaring at Hux again, then gave up and stumbled into the bedroom. 

Hux sighed loudly. "Ren--" Ren whirled on him, lost his footing momentarily, then pointed a large finger in his face. "Enough, I'm fine!" Then he started for the living area, tripping twice on nothing. 

Hux ran his tongue over his teeth and clenched his fists. He made a decision. Not one he would regret, he sincerely hoped. "Ren." He called loudly again. Ren half-turned in the doorway. "I command you to report to medical now!"

Ren turned completely. "No."

"Then I relieve you of your command and your duties."

Ren took an unsteady step forward and shook a finger in his face again. "You can't do that. You do not presume to command me. I make my own decisions and I decide I'm fine." Apparently, he felt he was fine.

"I do presume. You are unfit to serve in your current condition and I relieve you of duty until you are."

Ren laughed suddenly. "How are you going to accomplish that? Truss me up and drag me through the hallways? Deposit me in medical like a sack of vegetables?"

Hux had a sudden surprising and unwelcome reaction to the visual accompanying that challenge. He shoved it away. "If you force me to, yes." 

"There's your answer, right there." Ren was definitely slurring. "The Force." He waved his hand again, "you can't make me do anything."

Hux sighed again. Really, Ren being more of a child than usual was going to make this easier. He truly hoped he wasn't making a serious miscalculation. "Then stop me."

Ren blinked in surprise. "Wha?"

Hux took a step closer. "You heard me. Use that ridiculous 'force' of yours. Stop me."

Ren's face grew dark. "It's not ridiculous. You'll be sorry you said that."

"It's ridiculous the way you strut around my ship, waving your hands like some overly-theatrical street magician and destroying perfectly good equipment. Just because you can, and just because you can't control yourself better than a child."

The look on Ren's face was made more frightening by the blood and the blown pupil. "Shut up, Hux. You're gonna be sorry if you don't."

Hux sneered, "I'm already sorry that I'm saddled with you aboard My ship."

Ren was close to his boiling point, his eye twitched and the blood ran more freely from his nose and head. Hux hoped he didn't have a stroke first. "Shut. Up. Shut. Up!"

"No, I will do no such thing."

With a blood curdling scream that made Hux's ears ring, Ren threw his hand up and the case behind Hux exploded. Hux flinched but held his ground. Ren screamed again and swiped his arm down hard. The bed flipped completely over. Hux felt the rush of air as it almost grazed his body. Gasping, Ren held out both hands and Hux heard a screech of metal as the wall behind him warped. Hux managed not to move. 

There was another tense moment. Ren stared at Hux, then his hands. Then he lifted them to his head and groaned, dropping to the floor. "My head . . ."

Hux closed his eyes and let out a long breath, realizing he was shaking. He took a moment to compose himself, then knelt before Ren and placed a careful hand on his shoulder. Ren tensed, then relaxed. He gave a soft moan and pulled his hands away. He looked at the blood, then looked at Hux. He was having even more trouble focusing. "I won't be dragged to medical on a stretcher."

Hux nodded, his hand still on his shoulder. "If you think you can walk I will escort you down. If not they might be able to bring some equipment up. Maybe they can patch you up enough here."

Ren started to nod, thought better of it. "Yes, here please. I don't think I can walk that far pretending." He glanced towards the refresher. "I would probably be sick again."

Hux nodded and moved to get up. Ren stopped him with a hand on his arm. "How did you know I wasn't going to mangle you?"

Hux chuckled, still a little giddy with relief. "You had to push Yence down with your hands. You apparently couldn't hit the broad side of a star cruiser if you tried." 

Ren shrugged. "True, but it was a risky move."

He released him, but as he was getting up he added, "Thank you, Hux."

Hux nodded, then added after a thought. "I believe I rather enjoyed that." Then stood and walked to the comm station. 

He could hear Ren from the floor, still slurring " I believe you" and he smiled.


End file.
